[alipally]

Last year I grew the mixed leaf chicory from Franchi.  I preferred some to others so will grow separate varieties this year.  I have noticed a couple of red ones (luckily one of the ones I really liked) have started to shoot again.  I dug one up and there were three or four smaller ones growing off the main stem. 

My questions are:

It looks like the radiccio you get in the supermarket salad bags, any idea what it is called?

Shall I break the shoots off and grow them all separately.  If this is the case can I treat it as a perennial and do the same next year?

Could I force this in the winter like Witloof, I can't find any reference to a raddiccio suitable for forcing.

Many thanks
Ali

[mumofstig]

The radiccio will only run to seed this year now, it's not a perennial. So use the shoots as soon as they are big enough.
If you look through the seeds of italy brochure or online can you recognise the varieties you want to grow from the individual pictures? That would be easiest.

http://www.seedsofitaly.com/catalogue/6/1

The palla rosa types (they look like red cabbage) i think are the ones that they chop in salad bags.
If you sow in august and protect with cloches you can eat as is through the winter, if you want to blanch the flatter growing ones you can cover with a large plate for 10 days or so, but the ball headed ones don't need blanching.
I've never heard of radiccio being forced.......so can't help there

[Stripey_cat]

I have seen pictures of red chicory forcing exactly like witloof types, but maddeningly the book didn't give the variety!  Maybe I should save a few roots to experiment with next winter.

[mumofstig]

On this page there is a ref to a variety that can be forced...

http://www.charlesdowding.co.uk/index.php?main=blog&month=2008/jan08

[alipally]

Many thanks for the helpful replies, i'll experiment with the treviso tardiva and see what happens.

Ali